4 Hidden Perks of Journaling

In the past year, journaling has become a more prevalent topic of discussion, especially on Tik Tok. Many different companies have made their own journals and daily journal topics. For example, The Five Minute Journal is a daily journal with questions such as “name 3 things you are grateful for.” Many mental health professionals have also expressed their support for journaling. Not only is journaling a fun creative outlet, but it also has great perks.

1. Stress Reliever

Journaling can be a great stress reliever. Being able to write down all your emotions without the anxiety of having to share with someone can be a great outlet for everyone. While therapy is a great tool for mental health and stress, journaling is kind of like free therapy. You can write whatever you want without fearing judgement. It’s an excellent way to process your own emotions, and manage stress in a healthy way.

 2. Set and achieve goals

Journaling is a great way of creating a clear set of goals. By physically writing down goals,  I am much more motivated to complete them. Writing down goals helps you remember your priorities in the long run, as opposed to merely typing it in a phone or just making a mental note. Writing down your thoughts can also help you realize what goals you may want to achieve that you didn’t think about before.

 3. Self-reflection

Journaling is also a great tool for self-reflection. Being able to look back a year ago to see what you were writing about and how you’ve grown as a person is a great motivation to continue to evolve. Self-reflection is also a great tool to recognize behaviors and to work on yourself. Being able to track day-to-day triggers and behaviors can help you recognize and alter them. 

 4. Mental health

While journaling is a great stress reliever, it also greatly helps mental health. The ability to write down and explore your thoughts is great for mental health and also anxiety. Journaling also  provides an opportunity for positive self-talk. Even when writing negative thoughts, journaling allows you to identify these negative emotions, and enact change.

Written by: Sydney Karlos

Instagram: @sydkarloss